Thousands of Thai fishermen protest against tough industry regulations

[snoop1130]

Thousands of Thai fishermen protest against tough industry regulations

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat

 

Family members in the fishing industry sit at a protest outside the Agriculture Ministry, calling for amendments to a 2015 law aimed at addressing international concerns over combatting illegal and unregulated fishing, in Bangkok, Thailand December 17, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Several thousand Thai fishermen protested outside the agriculture ministry on Tuesday over strict regulations aimed at combating illegal and unregulated fishing which they say are driving them out of business.

 

Thailand, one of the world’s largest seafood exporters, began cracking down on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing four years ago after the European Union threatened to ban its seafood exports.

 

The EU lifted its threat in January this year, citing a “major upgrade” in Thai governance, but the reforms enacted by Bangkok in 2015 have hurt the country’s fishing sector.

 

The protesters, drawn from 22 provinces around the country, turned the area in front of the ministry into a camp site with makeshift shelters under colourful umbrellas and took turns to air their grievances over megaphones.

 

“We’ve lost everything in the past five years. If we don’t get any answers today, we won’t leave,” said one fisherman from the southern province of Rayong.

 

Mongkol Sukcharoenkana, president of the National Fisheries Association of Thailand (NFAT), said the reforms and costly fines had caused many fishermen to lose their jobs.

 

“If the government won’t fix the problems for us, we’ll just oust them,” Mongkol told Reuters.

 

Earlier this month, fishing associations drew up a list of demands that included a relaxation of the restrictions and the allocation of special funds to help the industry.

 

Alongkorn Ponlaboot, an adviser to the agriculture minister, told the gathering on Tuesday that a loan of 10.3 billion baht ($341 million) for the fishermen and a scheme worth 7.1 billion baht ($235 million) to buy out 2,700 ships were awaiting cabinet approval.

 

But he said amending the law was complicated because it could affect Thailand’s commitment to combat IUU fishing, and that consultations were ongoing.

 

“DARK DAYS”

 

Thailand’s multi-billion-dollar seafood sector came under scrutiny after investigations showed trafficking and exploitative practices against workers on fishing boats.

 

International organisations have welcomed Thailand’s reform of its fishing sector, saying it has bolstered traceability and oversight on transshipments at sea and curbed forced labour.

 

Steve Trent, executive director of London-based Environmental Justice Foundation, urged Thailand to entrench the reform rather than water it down.

 

“If NFAT gets its ways and the reforms are rolled back, it will be a return to the dark days of violence, forced labour, more illegal and unsustainable fishing,” Trent told Reuters.

 

Alongkorn told Reuters the government would not do anything that would negatively affect Thailand’s IUU status.

 

“We have an obligation and we don’t want to turn back. That’s the bottom line.”

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-17

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[Fex Bluse]

They have no idea how to compete fairly. 

 

So they cry and assume the Thai government can sweet talk or bully their way out of international obligations. 

 

Somchai, if you want to sell to other countries, you will play by their rules. Or simply don't sell to them. 

[dcnx]

A law is passed prohibiting more than 5 people from riding in the back of pick up trucks for their own safety, the people complain. The government back peddles.

 

Farmers complain about laws preventing them from using poisonous chemicals and the giver back peddles. 

Crop and garbage burners.... fines and jail to be given out and hotlines set up. Zero enforcement.
 

Now fisherman complain about having to follow rules the rest of the world have to follow. You know what’s going to happen.... the government will back peddle.

 

This is why NOTHING moves forward here and things don’t improve.

 

There are probably countless examples but those came to mind first.

 

Thailand can’t compete unless they cheat, steal, traffic, or poison. This is the heart of what Thainess really is. 

 

 

[Assurancetourix]

10 hours ago, dcnx said:

Thailand can’t compete unless they cheat, steal, traffic, or poison. This is the heart of what Thainess really is. 

Don't write that on the POTY line;
Yinn will answer you that
it's not true,
that it is not possible,
that it's thai bashing ...

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1137559-poty-the-final-run-to-the-poll/page/138/#comments

 

Unfortunately, this is the very sad reality.
The Thai people have still not understood that they are not and have never been the center of the world

 

[Thian]

Well i think it's best if the EU/USA just boycot thai fish for some years untill they understand how it works.

[Okis]

11 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

They have no idea how to compete fairly. 

 

So they cry and assume the Thai government can sweet talk or bully their way out of international obligations. 

 

Somchai, if you want to sell to other countries, you will play by their rules. Or simply don't sell to them. 

U buy my simp now mister, bad guy out good guy give money in

[newatthis]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“If the government won’t fix the problems for us, we’ll just oust them,” Mongkol told Reuters.

Them there are fighting words   I hope activist Srisuwan Janya is on the ball..

[DannyCarlton]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

said one fisherman from the southern province of Rayong.

Has it moved?

[RichardColeman]

Meanwhile, whilst they are out protesting , someone is catching their fish

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“We have an obligation and we don’t want to turn back. That’s the bottom line.”

Brave talk in the land of U-turns!

Thai fishermen just don't want any regulations, they want to be unregulated to go back to the old practices of before.

Those days of slavery and over fishing are gone. The IUU sticks and is here to stay, if it's rolled back or watered down the international bodies will ban Thai fish from it's markets.

[seajae]

they want illegal fishing reinstated because its easier for them to do it illegally and they can make more profit, they have no regard to their industries future at all just money in their pockets. They have already destroyed a lot of the fishing in Thailand with their illegal methods, they just dont care, the govt needs to remain firm and not allow them to start doing it all again or it will be completely destroyed, time for the govt to tell them where to go

[yourauntbob]

On 12/17/2019 at 8:49 AM, Fex Bluse said:

They have no idea how to compete fairly. 

 

So they cry and assume the Thai government can sweet talk or bully their way out of international obligations. 

 

Somchai, if you want to sell to other countries, you will play by their rules. Or simply don't sell to them. 

"They have no idea how to compete fairly. " - I thought this was directed at the EU.  Talk about a group who doesnt know how to compete fairly.

[yourauntbob]

On 12/17/2019 at 9:18 AM, dcnx said:

A law is passed prohibiting more than 5 people from riding in the back of pick up trucks for their own safety, the people complain. The government back peddles.

 

Farmers complain about laws preventing them from using poisonous chemicals and the giver back peddles. 

Crop and garbage burners.... fines and jail to be given out and hotlines set up. Zero enforcement.
 

Now fisherman complain about having to follow rules the rest of the world have to follow. You know what’s going to happen.... the government will back peddle.

 

This is why NOTHING moves forward here and things don’t improve.

 

There are probably countless examples but those came to mind first.

 

Thailand can’t compete unless they cheat, steal, traffic, or poison. This is the heart of what Thainess really is. 

 

 

Why not let people decide what they find safe and are willing to do?  You say nothing is improving but why am i assuming your probably in the group that is also complaining about the baht getting stronger and euro getting weaker.  How dare they expect to get more for their money.  So instead of looking at what EU policies are causing this, lets blame other nations for "not playing fair."  The fall in the westerner standard of living in Thailand is corresponding with the rise in the Thai standard of living.  Then you have the gall to add "Thailand can’t compete unless they cheat, steal, traffic, or poison. This is the heart of what Thainess really is. "  This is why Europe is falling and Asia is rising.

[englishoak]

3 minutes ago, yourauntbob said:

Why not let people decide what they find safe and are willing to do?  You say nothing is improving but why am i assuming your probably in the group that is also complaining about the baht getting stronger and euro getting weaker.  How dare they expect to get more for their money.  So instead of looking at what EU policies are causing this, lets blame other nations for "not playing fair."  The fall in the westerner standard of living in Thailand is corresponding with the rise in the Thai standard of living.  Then you have the gall to add "Thailand can’t compete unless they cheat, steal, traffic, or poison. This is the heart of what Thainess really is. "  This is why Europe is falling and Asia is rising.

 

They want top prices nd profit but for that a standard must be met.. simple choice really. Sell to the EU for premium with standards or to others for lower prices without. 

 

Let Thailand buy their product or sell to other than the EU then... whats the problem ? 

[jany123]

On 12/17/2019 at 6:45 PM, snoop1130 said:

protested outside the agriculture ministry on Tuesday over strict regulations aimed at combating illegal and unregulated fishing which they say are driving them out of business.

So to stay in business the fishermen maintain that they must be allowed to act illegally and with impunity.... what can one really say about that? I realize everybody should own at least one slave, but c’mon.

[impulse]

As I recall, it's not the regulations that are driving them out of business in the long term as much as the overfishing.

 

My heart goes out to guys whose families have been fishing for generations.  But what was sustainable with a world population of 5 billion and low tech, small boat methods isn't sustainable at 7 billion and huge fleets of massive ships that can scrape the sea from top to bottom, leaving nothing to spawn for next year.

 

Not to mention human trafficking in foreign deck hands that they don't really want to pay...  That went out in most of the world decades ago,

 

The game as they remember it is over.  The only question is whether they can adjust to the new reality. or do they want to continue pillaging like there's no tomorrow?

 

On a larger note, eventually the world is going to snap to the fact that the sea is a lot like the land...  It has limits.  When's the last time someone made a burger out of a wild caught cow?  Aquaculture is the future.  Too bad it's so poorly done, even in the advanced countries.

 

 

[Oziex1]

Clearly the E word is required here, these morons need Educating on the realities of the world markets.

 

It's all well and good to put laws in place to impress the EU but the local's need to be thoroughly briefed on the reasons for the changes and understand why they must change.

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, jany123 said:

So to stay in business the fishermen maintain that they must be allowed to act illegally and with impunity.... what can one really say about that? I realize everybody should own at least one slave, but c’mon.

Perhaps they're taking their cue from the military.

When it doesn't like the elected government, they act illegally to replace it.

And military conscripts - treated like slaves?

When the "pillars of a society" are corrupt, expect the society to behave so.

[Srikcir]

On 12/17/2019 at 6:45 PM, snoop1130 said:

Several thousand Thai fishermen protested

More likely Thai fishing business investors/owners and vessel owners.

They are not per se "fishermen."